Locking device for drawers and the like



Jan. 6', 1942.

M. S. FI NKIEWICZ LOCKING DEVICE FOR DRAWERS AND THE LIKE I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 25, 1940 M. S. FINKIEWICZ LOCKING DEVICE FQR DRAWERS AND THE LIKE Jan. 6, 1942.

Filed May 25, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Jan. 6, 1942 UNITED STATES? PATENT OFF-ICE 2,268,864 7 LOCKING DEVICE FOR 'DRAWERS AND THE LIKE Max S. Finkiewicz, Lockport, Ill.

Application May 23, 1940, Serial No. 336,736

1 Claim. (Cl. 45-54) This invention relates to improvements in locking devices for desks and the like.

More particularly this invention relates to locking'devices for drawers, in desks and similar articles of furniture, in which all of the drawers are adapted to be locked when in closed position by the manipulation of one of such drawers, and unlocked by a corresponding manipulation of such drawer.

One of the objects of this invention is the provision of a locking device which serves to lock the drawers of a desk independently of each other, so that one or more drawers may be'left in open position and unlocked, while some of such other drawers are in closed and locked position,

the open drawers being adapted for closing and locking without manipulation of any of the drawers already locked.

Another object of, this invention is the provision of a locking device of the character described which is -inaccessible to unauthorized persons and which renders a desk more fully theft proof than similar devices heretofore used.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a locking device of the character described which is simple in construction andeasily applied to desks and articles of furniture of conventional design.

These and other objects of the invention will be apparent during the course of the following- 2--2 of Fig. 1, with parts broken away, and show-- ing the drawers in locked position.

Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the drawers unlocked.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view, partly in cross section, of parts of my device.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary cross sectional view of parts of my device.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the central control drawer.

Referring to the drawingswherein is shown a preferred embodiment of my invention, the numeral I0 indicates, generally, a desk or article of furniture of conventional design. The desk is symmetrically with respect to a central drawer I4, although it will be understood that the invention may be applied to any article of furniture having a. single tier of drawers.

The'supporting slideways I6 for the drawers I2'disp0sed on the side proximate to the central drawer I4 are recessed to provide vertical slots I8 for accommodating a locking bar 20 which is slidable vertically for looking or unlocking the drawers I2. Fixed to the upper terminal portion of the bar 20 is a spindle 2| which carries a. roller 22. The spindle and roller are mounted on the side of the bar 20 which is directed towards the central drawer I4 and-project through an aperture 23 in the wall panel 21 into the space normally occupied by the central drawer I4. A series of pins 24, one for each drawer, are fixed to the other side of the bar 20 and are directed towards the right hand tier of drawers I2. The supporting slideways l6 are provided withrecesses 25 which receive the pins 24 when the bar 20 is in unlocked position, as shown in Figure 3.

A coil spring 26 is secured to thebar 20 and to the lowermost slideway I6 and serves to draw the bar 20 downwardly.

Each side wall of the central drawer I4 is provided with an upwardly inclined recess 28, the said recess having a depth substantially half of the thickness of the wall and extending forwardly from the rear edge thereof. The recess 28 is of a width sufiicient to accommodate the roller 22 mounted on the locking bar 28 and, as will be seen in Figure 3, the mouth .of the recess 28 is alined with the roller 22 when the drawer I4 is opened and the locking bar 20 is in its lowermost position. Thus, when the drawer I4 is pushed inwardly the roller 22 is caused to enter therecess 28 and to ride on the lower surface thereof, and the inclination of the recess 28 causes the locking bar 20 to move upwardly. This upward movement effects a locking of the tier of drawers I2, as will be presently described. Conversely, an outward movement of the central drawer I4 will cause the locking bar 20 to move downwardly and will release the tier of drawers I2 to permit opening thereof.

As all drawers I2 in the tier are alike in construction, it will suflice to describe one of them. The drawer I2 is of conventional construction and is provided with a recess 30 inthe lower rear portion of the side wall which is proximate to the bar 20. The recess 30 is shaped substantially as shown in Figures 2, 3 and 4 and has a reduced mouth portion extending from the edge of the shown as having two tiers of drawers I2 arranged wall and an enlarged'portion for accommodating a latch member 32. The latch member 32 is pivotally mounted in the recess 39 as at 33 and has fixed thereto a pin 34 which projects at right angles from the plane of the latch member 32 and which extends into an arcuate slot 35 formed in the surface of the recess 34]. The pin 34 in combination of the arcuate slot 35 serves as a means for limiting the pivotal movement of the latch member 32. A notch 36 is formed in the lower edge of the latch member 32 and is arranged to cooperate with the pins 24 for locking the drawers I2. A flat bow spring 38 is fixed at one end to the forward portion of the latch member 32 while its other end portion abuts the shoulder of the recess 30. It is readily seen that the spring 33 normally yieldingly maintains the latch member 32 in its lowermost position, as shown in Figures 2 and 3. By referring to Figure 5, it will be seen that the relative dimensions of the recess and the latch member 32 are such that the latch member will at least be flush with the outer surface of the side wall of the drawer I2 when in mounted position.

While only one locking means, as described, has been applied to the central drawer l4 and only to one tier of drawers l2, it is to be understood that the locking means are applied to the other tier of drawers and that the central drawer is manipulated to lock both tiers of drawers.

In operation, when the central drawer I4 is in closed position, as shown in Figure 2, the locking bar 2|], by reason of the roller 22 having entered the inclined recess 28, is at its topmost position, with the pins 24 disposed above the surface plane of the supporting slideways l6 and projecting into the recesses 30, as shown in Figures 4 and 5. With the drawers l2 in closed position, as shown in Figure 2, the pins 24 are engaged in the notches 36 of the latch members 32 and the drawers are thus locked against opening. It will of course be understood that the central drawer I4 is provided with key operated locking means so that it may be locked against unauthorized opening.

If it is desired to open any one of the drawers 1 I2, in either tier, the central drawer i4 is pulled out. In this operation the locking bar 20 is caused to move downwardly as a result of the roller 22 running in the inclined recess 28. The

pins 24 are caused to enter the recess 36 provided a in the slideways i6, and in the lowermost position of the bar 20, the pins 24 are positioned below the surface of the slideways l and out of engagement with any part of the drawers l2. It

will thus be seen that the drawers l2 are now free to slide in either direction with no obstructions to impede the movement thereof.

With my improved device one or more drawers l2 may be kept open while the central drawer I4 is locked, and the open drawer or drawers may :be subsequently locked without manipulating the central drawer M. The action of the latch member 32, when the bar 20 is in locked position, is shown in Figure 4. With the pin 24 positioned above the surface of the slideway [6, as shown in Figure 4, and the drawer l2 in open position, the latch member 32 which normally assumes a substantially horizontal position is caused to pivot upwardly when the pin 24 engages the forward tapered portion of the latch member 32. The latch member 32 is maintained in yielding engagement with the pin 24 and when the drawer I2 is pushed to the limit of its travel,

the latch member 32 is caused to pivot downwardly and to receive the pin 24 in the notch 35 which looks the drawer against any movement.

The arrangement of parts is such that the locking means hereinabove described are not readily accessible, except upon the destruction of certain parts of the desk and therefore tampering by unauthorized persons is prevented. Since very little clearance is provided between the roller 22 and the top and bottom walls of the recess 28 it will be seen that the locking bar 20 cannot be moved upwardly or downwardly without manipulating the centnal drawer l4, even though access may otherwise have been had to the locking bar 20.

It is tobe understood that the form of my invention, herewith shown and described, is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit of my invention or the scope of the appended claim.

I claim:

A desk having a central control drawer and a tier of drawers at each side thereof, a vertically slidable locking bar between said control drawer and each of said tiers of drawers, an upwardly inclined recess formed in the rearward portion of each side of said control drawer, a pin projecting on one side of each bar and arranged to be accommodated in a corresponding recess whereby reciprocating movement of said bar is effected when said control drawer is moved in and out, each of said drawers in said tiers having in the side thereof a rearward recess accommodating a pivoted latching member adapted for engagement with a corresponding locking pin on said bar, the said bar being raised when said control drawer is fully pushed in whereby the said locking pins are engaged by said latching members to lock said drawers, the said latching members being out of engagement with the said locking pins when the control drawer is pulled out, said latching members being independently movable whereby some of said drawers may be locked while other of said drawers are open.

MAX S. FINKIEWICZ. 

